John Patrick Thomson (born Patrick Francis McAleer; 2 April 1969) is an English

comedian A comedian (feminine comedienne) or comic is a person who seeks to entertainment, entertain an audience by making them laughter, laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting foolishly (as in slapstick), or employing prop c ...

, narrator and actor best known for his roles in ''

The Fast Show ''The Fast Show'', also known as ''Brilliant'' in the United States, is a BBC comedy sketch show that ran on BBC Two, BBC 2 from 1994 to 1997, with specials in 2000 and 2014. The show's central performers were Paul Whitehouse, Charlie Higson, Si ...

'', ''

Men Behaving Badly ''Men Behaving Badly'' is a British sitcom that was created and written by Simon Nye. It follows the lives of Gary Strang ( Martin Clunes) and his flatmates Dermot Povey ( Harry Enfield; series 1 only) and Tony Smart ( Neil Morrissey; series ...

'', ''

Cold Feet ''Cold Feet'' is a British comedy-drama television series produced by Granada Television for the ITV (TV network), ITV network. The series was created and principally written by Mike Bullen as a follow-up to his 1997 Comedy Premieres, Comedy ...

'', ''

24 Hour Party People ''24 Hour Party People'' is a 2002 British biographical comedy drama film about Manchester's popular music community from 1976 to 1992, and specifically about Factory Records. It was written by Frank Cottrell Boyce and directed by Michael Wint ...

'', ''

The Brothers Grimsby ''Grimsby'' (released as ''The Brothers Grimsby'' in the United States and Canada) is a 2016 spy action comedy film directed by Louis Leterrier and written by Sacha Baron Cohen, Phil Johnston, and Peter Baynham. The film stars Baron Cohen, Mark ...

'' and ''

Coronation Street ''Coronation Street'' (colloquially referred to as ''Corrie'') is a British television soap opera created by ITV Granada, Granada Television and shown on ITV (TV network), ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres on a cobbled, terraced ...

''.

Early life

Thomson was born in 1969 in

Walkden Walkden is a town in the City of Salford in Greater Manchester, England, northwest of central Salford, and of Manchester. Walkden has been designated as one of seven main town centres in the City of Salford, and now largely functions as a r ...

Worsley Worsley () is a village in the City of Salford, Greater Manchester, England, which in 2014 had a population of 10,090. It lies along Worsley Brook, west of Manchester. Within the boundaries of the Historic counties of England, historic county ...

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated ''Lancs'') is a ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Cumbria to the north, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Greater Manchester and Merseyside to the south, and the Irish Sea to ...

, to Mary McAleer, who gave him up for adoption six weeks later. He was adopted from the Catholic Children's Rescue Society by Andrew and Marita Thomson, a businessman and a bookseller from

Didsbury Didsbury is a suburb of Manchester, England, on the north bank of the River Mersey, south of Manchester city centre. The population at the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 census was 26,788. Within the boundaries of the Historic counties of ...

. He has one younger brother, Ben (born to his adoptive parents).Cooke, Rachel (2003-05-11
"Infamy, infamy ..."
''The Observer''. Retrieved on 2007-02-17 He attended

All Hallows Catholic High School All Hallows Catholic High School is a Mixed-sex education, coeducational secondary school located in Penwortham in the English county of Lancashire. Established in 1975, it is a Catholic Church, Roman Catholic voluntary aided school administere ...

near Preston,

, leaving with three O-levels. He then attended

Runshaw College Runshaw College is a Further education, Higher and Further Education college based in Leyland, Lancashire, Leyland, England. History Runshaw College was established in 1974. It initially catered solely for school leavers from Balshaw's Church o ...

between 1985 and 1987, studying for four

A-levels The A-level (Advanced Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education, as well as a school leaving qualification offered by the educational bodies in the United Kingdom and the educational ...

, including theatre studies. He was described as "clearly avinga talent for comedy". Following this, he turned down a scholarship in America, to study drama at

Manchester Polytechnic Manchester Metropolitan University is located in the centre of Manchester, England. The university has 40,000 students and over 4,000 members of staff. It is home to four faculties (Arts and Humanities, Business and Law, Health and Education ...

instead.

Career

Comedy and television

While at university, Thomson met

Steve Coogan Stephen John Coogan (; born 14 October 1965) is an English-Irish actor, comedian, screenwriter and producer. His accolades include four BAFTA Awards and three British Comedy Awards, and nominations for two Academy Awards and a Golden Globe Aw ...

, who secured him a job on ''

Spitting Image ''Spitting Image'' is a British satirical television puppet show, created by Peter Fluck, Roger Law and Martin Lambie-Nairn. First broadcast in 1984, the series was produced by 'Spitting Image Productions' for Central Independent Television ...

''. They continued to collaborate on such programmes as ''The Dead Good Show'', a 1993

Granada TV ITV Granada, formerly known as Granada Television, is the ITV franchisee for the North West of England and Isle of Man. From 1956 to 1968 it broadcast to both the north west and Yorkshire on weekdays only, as ABC Weekend Television was its ...

pilot An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its Aircraft flight control system, directional flight controls. Some other aircrew, aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are al ...

also starring

Caroline Aherne Caroline Mary Aherne (24 December 1963 – 2 July 2016) was an English actress, comedian, writer and director. She was best known for performing as the acerbic chat show host '' Mrs Merton'', in various roles in '' The Fast Show'', and as Denise ...

, ''

Coogan's Run ''Coogan's Run'' is a 1995 UK TV series featuring Steve Coogan as a series of odd characters living in the fictional town of Ottle. It was written by various people including Coogan, Patrick Marber, David Tyler, Graham Linehan, Arthur Mathew ...

'', the Paul and Pauline Calf video diaries (in which he played Fat Bob) and '' Knowing Me, Knowing You... with Alan Partridge'', for which he also wrote. He also appeared in Coogan's live shows as compère Bernard Righton and the two would be reunited in the 2002 film ''

''. The two won the

Perrier Comedy Award The Edinburgh Comedy Awards (formerly the Perrier Comedy Awards, and also briefly known by other names for sponsorship reasons) are presented to the comedy shows deemed to have been the best at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland. Establ ...

in 1992 for their act at the

Edinburgh Fringe The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (also referred to as the Edinburgh Fringe, the Fringe or the Edinburgh Fringe Festival) is the world's largest performance arts festival, which in 2024 spanned 25 days, sold more than 2.6 million tickets and featur ...

. Thomson also played supporting roles in the first series of the

Stewart Lee Stewart Graham Lee (born 5 April 1968) is an English comedian. His stand-up routine is characterised by repetition, internal reference, and deadpan delivery. Lee began his career in 1989 and formed the comedy duo Lee and Herring with Richard ...

and

Richard Herring Richard Keith Herring (born 12 July 1967) is an English stand-up comedian and writer whose early work includes the comedy double act Lee and Herring (alongside Stewart Lee). He is described by ''The British Theatre Guide'' as "one of the leadin ...

vehicle, ''

Fist of Fun A fist is the shape of a hand when the fingers are bent inward against the palm and held there tightly. To make or clench a fist is to fold the fingers tightly into the center of the palm and then to clamp the thumb over the middle phalanges; i ...

''. In 1994, Thomson appeared in the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

sketch series ''

'', remaining with it until it ended in 2001. Thomson played memorable characters such as Chip Cobb, the deaf stuntman, and Roger the Nouveau football fan, but it is as "Jazz Club" host Louis Balfour that he is most remembered, with the catchphrase, "Nice!" He also appeared in ''The Fast Show Live'' and the spin-off ''

Ted and Ralph Ted and Ralph are fictional characters created by Arthur Mathews and Graham Linehan, played by Paul Whitehouse and Charlie Higson in the BBC comedy sketch show ''The Fast Show''. They featured in all three series of the show. Characters Lor ...

''. In 1996, he appeared opposite

Maureen Lipman Dame Maureen Diane Lipman (born 10 May 1946) is an English actress, columnist and comedian. She trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and her stage work has included appearances with the National Theatre and the Royal Shakesp ...

as Bob Acres in ''

The Rivals ''The Rivals'' is a comedy of manners by Richard Brinsley Sheridan in five acts which was first performed at Covent Garden Theatre on 17 January 1775. The story has been updated frequently, including a 1935 musical and a 1958 List of Maverick ...

'' at the

Royal Exchange, Manchester The Royal Exchange is a grade II listed building in Manchester, England. It is located in the city centre on land bounded by St Ann's Square, Exchange Street, Market Street, Cross Street and Old Bank Street. The complex includes the Royal Ex ...

.Bourke, Kevin (2003-04-25
"Thomson's Choice"
''Manchester Evening News''. Retrieved on 2007-02-17 He made guest appearances on various series such as

, ''

Soldier Soldier ''Soldier Soldier'' is a British television drama series. Created by Lucy Gannon, produced by Central Television and broadcast on the ITV network, it ran for a total of seven series and 82 episodes from 10 June 1991 to 9 December 1997. It ...

'' and ''

'' in the 1990s before being cast as Pete Gifford in the ITV

comedy drama Comedy drama (also known by the portmanteau dramedy) is a hybrid genre of works that combine elements of comedy and Drama (film and television), drama. In film, as well as scripted television series, serious dramatic subjects (such as death, il ...

''. Thomson was known to the producers, who had previously cast him in a one-off drama called ''The Perfect Match''. A series was commissioned that ran until 2003 and earned him a nomination for Best TV Comedy Actor at the British Comedy Awards 2001. Granada Television filmed a comedy drama called ''Stan the Man'' in 2002 in which Thomson starred as Stanley Tully a would-be entrepreneur. Some of the filming was done in south Manchester suburbs. After ''Cold Feet'' wrapped, Thomson appeared in the Royal Exchange's production of ''

Hobson's Choice A Hobson's choice is a free choice in which only one thing is actually offered. The term is often used to describe an illusion that choices are available. The best known example is "I'll give you a choice: Take it or leave it", wherein "leaving ...

'' (helped by his acclaimed performance in ''The Rivals''). ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

'' described his performance as Willie as "an extremely well-judged performance. With the slightest physical gesture and merest facial expression he conveys disbelief, reluctance, panic and finally acceptance of his fate at the hands of manipulative Maggie". His performance led to a

Manchester Evening News The ''Manchester Evening News'' (''MEN'') is a regional daily newspaper covering Greater Manchester in North West England, founded in 1868. It is published Monday–Saturday; a Sunday edition, the ''MEN on Sunday'', was launched in February 20 ...

Award nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role. That same year he participated in the BBC series ''

Comic Relief does Fame Academy ''Comic Relief Does Fame Academy'' is a spin-off of the original ''Fame Academy'' show where celebrities students sing as students of the Academy. The programme was launched in 2003 to help raise money for the charities supported by Comic Relief ...

'', being the fourth "student" to be "expelled". and in 2004, he appeared in the musical drama

Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside town in Lancashire, England. It is located on the Irish Sea coast of the Fylde peninsula, approximately north of Liverpool and west of Preston, Lancashire, Preston. It is the main settlement in the Borough of Blackpool ...

as Tony Corlette. He has also lent his voice to the revived BBC children's series '' Bill and Ben'' and Mr Windfall in ''

Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit ''Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit'' is a 2005 animated comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and Aardman Animations. It is the second feature-length film by Aardman, after ''Chicken Run'' (2000). The fourth installment in ...

''. Another television series, ''

New Street Law ''New Street Law'' is a British legal drama television series produced by Red Production Company in association with One-Eyed Dog Ltd for BBC One. The series was created by G. F. Newman and Matthew Hall, and starred an ensemble cast headed by J ...

'', about a Manchester chambers, started in 2006. Thomson plays "

lovable rogue The lovable rogue is a fictional stock character, often from a working-class upbringing, who tends to recklessly defy social norms and social conventions, but who still evokes empathy from the audience or other characters. Description Charact ...

" barrister Charlie Darling alongside co-star John Hannah. The second series began in January 2007. In February 2007, he played Sir Alan Prentice, in ''

Kombat Opera Presents ''Kombat Opera Presents'' is a British musical comedy television show. The comedy parodies British television programmes by transforming them into operas. The music for the series was written by Richard Thomas, with the series having its origins i ...

... The Applicants'', a spoof opera of the BBC series ''

The Apprentice An apprentice is someone who is in training for a trade, profession. The Apprentice or Apprentice may also refer to: Television * ''The Apprentice'' (American TV series), the original reality television series * ''The Apprentice'' (franchise), ...

''. The programme attracted 700,000 viewers according to unofficial overnights. In March 2007 he appeared as hypnotherapist Ray Bould in the three-part ITV thriller, '' Mobile''. The producers had Thomson lined up for the role of DI Fleming, but he wanted to read for Bould because he "was up against a friend for the same part". Later that year he filmed a guest appearance as Nigel Pearson in a second series episode of '' Kingdom''. He returned as a full-time cast member for the third series. In October 2008, Thomson filmed a three-episode guest stint on the

ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: Television TV stations/networks/channels ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network and company, including: **ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network in the United Kingd ...

soap opera A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term ''soap opera'' originat ...

'', playing electrician-cum-children's entertainer

Jesse Jesse may refer to: People * Jesse (biblical figure), father of David in the Bible * Jesse (given name), including a list of people * Jesse (surname), a list of people Music * ''Jesse'' (album), a 2003 album by Jesse Powell * "Jesse" (s ...

, which aired in December. In January 2009, it was announced that he would reprise the role for six months. Jesse returned to ''Coronation Street'' in June, beginning a relationship with

Eileen Grimshaw Eileen Grimshaw (also Phelan) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street''. Played by Sue Cleaver, the character first appeared on-screen during the episode airing on 3 May 2000. Her storylines have often incl ...

(

Sue Cleaver Susan Owen (née Cleaver, born 2 September 1963) is an English actress. She is best known for portraying the role of Eileen Grimshaw on the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', which she played from 2000 to 2025. In 2024 Cleaver became a pan ...

). He left 2010, after his contract was not renewed. Later that same year, he portrayed

H.V. Kershaw H. V. Kershaw, also known as Harry Kershaw, (29 May 1918England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007 – 18 April 1992) from Manchester was a British television scriptwriter and producer best known for his long association with the ...

in '' The Road to Coronation Street'', a dramatisation of ''Coronation Street''s development in the 1960s. In 2011, Thomson joined the cast of the BBC television series '' Waterloo Road''. Later in 2011, it was announced that Thomson would be appearing next to the original cast (with the exception of Mark Williams) in six online-only episodes of The Fast Show sponsored by lager brand, Foster's due to launch on 10 November 2011. Also in 2011, John was a contestant on the ITV celebrity reality series ''

71 Degrees North ''71 Degrees North'' is a reality television series on ITV which began broadcasting on 11 September 2010. Ten celebrities had to battle it out to see who would make it to the 71st parallel north, with challenges along the way. It returned for a ...

''. In 2015, he joined the cast of ''

After Hours After Hours or Afterhours may refer to: Film and television * ''After Hours'' (film), a 1985 black comedy by Martin Scorsese * ''After Hours'' (Canadian TV series), a 1953 variety series * ''After Hours'' (1958 British TV series), a comedy s ...

'' as loveable Geoff, reuniting with his old friends

Craig Cash Craig Cash (born 11 September 1960)
Retri ...

and

, who played his wife Sheila. During filming Thomson was attacked by a swan on set, footage being shown on ITV's

This Morning This Morning may refer to: * ''This Morning'' (TV programme), a British daytime television programme * ''This Morning'' (radio program), a Canadian radio show which aired from 1997 to 2002 * ''CBS This Morning'', an American morning show, succes ...

. Thomson was a contestant in the 2013 series of ''

Celebrity MasterChef ''MasterChef'' is a British competitive cooking reality show produced by Endemol Shine UK and Banijay and broadcast in 60 countries around the world. The show initially ran from 1990 to 2001 and was revived in 2005 as ''MasterChef Goes Large' ...

''. Since 2015, Thomson has starred in ''

The Keith Lemon Sketch Show ''The Keith Lemon Sketch Show'' is a British television impressions/character sketch show that aired on ITV2 from 5 February 2015 until 10 March 2016. It stars Leigh Francis' character Keith Lemon portraying several celebrities. Episodes Seri ...

'', playing various characters. He narrates the

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...

series ''

Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners ''Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners'' is a Channel 4 television series about people with obsessive–compulsive disorder, narrated by John Thomson. The first series ran from February to March 2013, the second from October to December 2013, the thir ...

'' and in September 2015, he became the new narrator of ''

Police Interceptors ''Police Interceptors'' is a British factual programme that profiles the work of elite police units from across the UK. There have to date been 23 series, following police units from Essex, South Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Cumbria, Lincolnshire, Du ...

''. He stars in the

Sky1 Sky One was a British pay television channel operated and owned by Sky Group (a division of Comcast). Originally launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, it was Europe's first satellite and non- terrestrial channel. From 31 July 1989 ...

comedy drama ''

'', directed by Craig Cash. From 2016, Thomson began narrating Channel 5 show '' Bargain-Loving Brits in the Sun'' - a show about British

expats An expatriate (often shortened to expat) is a person who resides outside their native country. The term often refers to a professional, skilled worker, or student from an affluent country. However, it may also refer to retirees, artists and ...

who have moved to

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

to begin a new life in the sun. On 18 November 2017, Thomson was a contestant in the reboot of

The Weakest Link ''Weakest Link'' (also known as ''The Weakest Link'') is a television game show which The Weakest Link (British game show), first appeared in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on 14 August 2000 and originally ended on 31 March 2012 when its host ...

for

Children in Need ''BBC Children in Need'' is the BBC's UK Charitable organization, charity dedicated to supporting disadvantaged children and young people across the country. Established in 1980, the organisation has raised over £1 billion by 2023 through its ...

. In 2018, Thomson was a contestant in ''

Dara O Briain's Go 8 Bit ''Dara O Briain's Go 8 Bit'' is a British comedy panel game show, hosted by comedian Dara Ó Briain, co-starring video game journalist Ellie Gibson, and premiered on Dave on 5 September 2016. The show's format is themed around two teams – Eng ...

''. In 2019, he starred in the comedy clip show, ''Zone of Champions''. In 2020, Thomson voiced the character of Dog in the

CBeebies CBeebies is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast children's television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is also the brand used for all BBC content targeted for children aged six year ...

show, ''Dog Loves Books''. In 2021, Thomson participated on the second series of ''

The Masked Singer ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...

'', masked as Bush Baby. He finished in 8th place. In December 2022, Thomson landed the role of villain Abanazar in a pantomime production of "Aladdin" at

Derby Arena Derby Arena is a multi-use indoor arena and velodrome at Pride Park in Derby, England. It was opened in 2015 and has hosted cycling, badminton, boxing and entertainment events. Construction Construction was expected to be completed in Novem ...

. In 2024, Thomson appeared as DI Warren Bull in a 2-part episode of

Silent Witness ''Silent Witness'' is a British crime drama television series produced by the BBC that focuses on a team of forensic pathology experts and their investigations into various crimes. The series was created by Nigel McCrery, a former murder squa ...

called "Grievance Culture".

Radio

In January 2008, he played Mike (Topaz) in the

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...

comedy drama series ''Pick Ups''. On 12 April 2008, Thomson began hosting the Saturday lunchtime slot on

BBC Radio Manchester BBC Radio Manchester is the BBC's local radio station serving Greater Manchester. It broadcasts on FM, DAB, digital TV and via BBC Sounds from studios at MediaCityUK in Salford Quays. According to RAJAR, the station has a weekly audience of ...

. His stint ended on 22 November 2008. Since 2016, Thomson has been a team captain on the

panel show ''Gaby's Talking Pictures'', presented by

Gaby Roslin Gaby Roslin (born 12 July 1964) is an English television and radio presenter who rose to fame co-presenting ''The Big Breakfast'' on Channel 4 between 1992 and 1996. Roslin also presented the ''Children in Need'' charity telethons on the BBC be ...

. From 26 to 29 December 2023, Thomson presented a four part series for

Absolute Radio Absolute Radio is a British digital radio station owned and operated by Bauer Media Audio UK as part of the Absolute Radio Network. It broadcasts nationally across the UK via digital audio broadcasting. The station focuses on alternative ...

titled ''12 Drummers Drumming'', which looked into twelve drummers from the worlds of rock, pop, jazz and rhythm and blues.

Personal life

Thomson married longtime girlfriend Samantha Sharp in 2005 and they have two daughters; Olivia (born 2002) and Sophia Melody (born 2010).Kilkenny, Daniel (31 March 2010).
John Thomson welcomes baby girl
. Digital Spy. Retrieved on 2 April 2010. They divorced in 2015.

Filmography

;Film ;Television

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Thomson, John 1969 births Living people Alumni of Manchester Metropolitan University English sketch comedians Comedians from Lancashire English adoptees English male comedians English male film actors English male radio actors English male stage actors English male television actors English male voice actors English male writers English television writers Male actors from Preston, Lancashire People from Walkden English male television writers